Government gears up for showdown with WTO on future of soft Border

Government gears up for showdown with WTO on future of soft Border

Unite union boss Len McCluskey stages a protest in London with a giant roulette wheel to
warn of the danger to jobs from Brexit. Picture: PA

The Government is gearing up for a major confrontation with the World Trade Organisation (WTO) over the commitment to retain a soft Border in Ireland in the event of a no-deal Brexit.

With chaos continuing in London, Ireland is ramping up preparations to cope with the UK crashing out of the EU.

The Irish Independent understands that among the contingency plans being considered is a resourcing of Revenue to deal with the increase in customs-checked transactions that will take place after Brexit.

Revenue is investing in new data storage systems, security and staff to facilitate the increase.

Now Government sources say they are prepared for major confrontation with WTO officials, who will insist on a Border with the North as part of strict trade laws.

“That’s just not politically deliverable; we won’t be doing it,” a source said. “Brussels knows we can’t go back to the borders of the past; it’ll be a very difficult and different conversation.”

“Everybody knows – including the WTO – how politically sensitive the Border issue is, but it can’t just be accepted as ‘politically sensitive’; they need to know it simply can’t happen; it’s not going to happen,” the source said. “It’s going to be a very difficult conversation if it comes to that.”

However, under WTO laws, Ireland and the EU will be obliged to install one for customs and regulatory checks as UK territory will be classed as a third country, outside EU jurisdiction for goods.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar remained firm on his commitment the soft Border would be retained and said no plans were in the pipeline to prepare for such an outcome.

The Fine Gael leader said he was confident there would be a backstop agreed in October and a withdrawal agreement. He expects the EU to reaffirm its commitment to the retention of a soft Border later this week following a meeting of Europe’s foreign affairs ministers.

Opposition parties have raised concern that an amendment passed in the UK parliament this week makes the backstop legally impossible.